For no apparent reason, other than spending a lot of time with a four year old boy, I began to think of the children of a family who ran a Chinese takeout restaurant back in the 70’s.  Since I ate a lot of “Chinese food” (and not what was Goood for me), I watched their three children grow up.  While Mom and Dad were sweating their asses off, hustling food, the three children sat very quietly and did what looked to be schoolwork. As they got older, the started to work the business.  I remember watching an about ten year old girl stop doing schoolwork and help her overwhelmed Mom answer the phones to take orders.  I was amused to listen to one side of the conversation and then see her turn to the kitchen and yell the order just like her Mom.  She’d put the orders on the carousel and, when the phone volume died off, return to her studies. 

It was a model of decorum and hard work.

Last night, when I was drifting off to sleep, I wondered if the Chinese have a secret to raising children?  

Certainly seems like that to me.

Hmmmm?

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